Snubbed truck



Sept. 22, 1953 J, J, ow 2,652,786

SNUBBED TRUCK Filed July 16, 1949 I INVENTOR.

f BY 7 MW, 0, Qjmv Patented Sept. 22, 1953 SNUBBED TRUCK John J. Kowalik, Chicago, 111;, assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 16, 1949, Serial No. 105,150

19 Claims.

This invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a type incorporating snubbing means for stabilizing the movements between the bolster and the side frames.

The general object of the invention is to provide a truck including a truss type side frame with a center post received within an opening in the bolster and wherein-the movements of the bolster are controlled by a friction assembly engageable with the post and movable with the bolster.

More specifically, the invention contemplates novel friction means comprising a trough-like clamping member sleeved over the friction post and comprising wedge faces sloping toward the post, the wedge member receiving a plurality of shoes in wedge engagementwith the respective surfaces and in frictional engagement with the post and the bolster, the wedge member being actuated by a spring sleeved over the post and compressed between the wedge member and the side frame.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement for frictionally controlling relative movements between the bolster and the side frame wherein the parts are easy to assemble and disassemble.

A further object of the invention is to provide a friction assembly, which, in addition to controlling relative movements between the bolster and the side frame, also supports the bolster.

These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the specification and the drawing, wherein:

c Figure 1 is a fragmentary sideelevational view partly in section of a railway car truck incorporating the invention, the section being taken substantlally inrth'e vertical plane indicated by the line l--l.of Figure 2;

.1 Figure 2 is a sectional view takensubstantially inlthe horizontal planes indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1l;'and

Figure 3 is a top plan view .of'the wedge member.

Referring .to' the drawing in detail, the invention .is illustrated as applied to' a railway car truck comprising a truss type side frame including tension and-compressionmembersil and 4 andBspacedcohunns 6,- 6 defining a bolster openmg A center .post' I 0, preferably oylindricalin cross section, is connected at its'upper end to the bottom: webil 2 of; the 'compression member medially between. the columns 6; 6 and extends downw dly from the c mpress on member nto the 2 bolster opening 8. The post is provided at opposite sides thereof with curved friction plates l4, I4 secured to the post in any convenient manner, as by'welding.

The tension member provides a spring seat IS on the top side thereof at the bottom of the bolster opening 8 upon which a plurality of bolstersupporting springs I8, l8 are supported, the upper ends of the springs I8, I8 seating against the underside of the bottom wall 20 of a bolster generally designated 22.

In addition to the bottom wall 28, the bolster, which is of box section, comprises a top wall 24 and spaced side walls 26; 26, and also spaced inboard and outboard transverse vertical webs 28 and 38 extending between the top and bottom walls 20 and 24 of the bolster and merging therewith and with the sidewalls 26, 26. The bolster is provided at each side thereof with inboard and outboard gibs 32 and 34 engageable with the inboard and outboard sides of the guide portions 36, 36 on the respective columns, said guide portions being formed intermediate the ends of the columns. The top and bottom walls of the bolster and the inboard and outboard walls 28 and 3G define a pocket 38 open through the sides of the bolster between the inboard and outboard gibs 32 and 34. The to and bottom walls of the bolster between walls 28 and 30 are provided centrally thereof with openings 40 and 42 receiving the post I0 therethrough.

A friction assembly is disposed within the pocket 38, said assembly comprising a troughlike housin casing .or equalizing member or clamping means generally indicated 44, said member 44 being sleeved over the post l0 and comprising spaced inboard and outboard side walls 46 and 48 and spaced end walls 5|], 50 formed integral with the walls 46 and 48 and provided with cylindrical wedge faces 52 sloping downwardly and converging toward the post. It will be understood that .the surfaces 52, 52v may be of any desired form, such as V-shaped or flat. The member 44 receives a .pair of'shoes 54, 54 therein disposed at oppositesides of the post l2, each shoe being somewhat triangular in side elevation and having a downwardly sloping cylindrical surface complementary to the adjacent surface 52 and in engagement therewith. Each shoe is preferably provided with a flat surface 56 on the top side thereof engaging the inner side of the-top wall 24 of the bolster. It will be un-' derstood that the top surface 56 of each shoe may adjacent friction plate I4 along a cylindrical surface 58. It will be realized that the post It! may be made with fiat sides and that the shoes may bear against fiat surfaces on the post; however, the present construction affords maximum bearing area so as to reduce wear and at the same time accommodate rotation of the friction assembly within the limits permitted between the inboard and outboard walls 28 and 3B of the pocket 38.

The friction assembly is actuated by a coil spring 60 seated at its lower end on the spring seat I 5 and at its upper end surrounding the post if! and projecting through the opening 42 in the bottom wall 20 of the bolster and seating at its upper end as at 62 against the bottom side of the member 44. The spring is spaced from the post by a depending annular flange 64 surrounding the post and formed around an opening 66 in the bottom of the member 44 through which the post ii! loosely extends.

It will be noted that as the bolster moves downwardly, the load is transmitted through the shoes to the housing member and, in turn, to the spring 6! Friction is increased between the shoes and the post on the downward movement of the bolster and upon upward movement of the bolster, friction is decreased.

In disassembling the truck shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bolster is elevated to the top of the bolster opening 8, thereby relieving the pressure on the springs l8, I8 and the spring 6!) inasmuch as the friction means move upwardly with the bolster. The springs 18, 18 are removed from the bolster opening and spring 6!! is compressed in any suitable jig until it clears the lower end of the post and is then canted and removed from the bolster opening. The bolster is then lowered to the bottom of the bolster opening which is widened at 6B and it will be noted that the outboard guide lugs are of less depth than the vertical extent of the widened portion of the bolster opening between the lower ends of the guide portions of the columns and the upper ends of the inboard and outboard flanges i6, 'H) on the tension member, whereby the bolster may be removed from the bolster opening endwise in conventional manner. It will be noted that when the spring 69 is removed, the housing member 44 will drop downwardly and seat on the bottom wall 26 of the bolster, thereby relieving pressure on the shoes 54 so that the bolster 22 may be easily lowered beneath the lower end of the post. It will be understood that the lower end of the post l0 clears the top side of the bolster when the bolster is at the bottom of the bolster opening. After the bolster is removed from the bolster opening the friction assembly may be removed by moving the housing member upwardly within th pocket and then sliding the friction assembly transversely of the bolster and withdrawing the same from the pocket 38 through either side of the bolster. In assembling the bolster with the side frame the procedure is reversed.

I claim:

1. In a railway car truck, a side frame, a bolster spring-supported therefrom and comprising spaced top and bottom walls and spaced transverse webs interconnecting said wal s and forming a pocket therewith, a cylindrical friction post connected to the frame and extending vertically through openin s in said walls between said webs, a friction assembly in said pocket comprising a housing separable from the bolster and surrounding the post and presenting diagonal wedge surfaces at opposite sides of the post sloping toward the same, friction shoes at opposite. sides Of th post in cylindrical face engagement therewith and in wedge engagement with respective surfaces and in frictional engagement with one of said walls, and a spring compressed between said housing and said frame for urging said housing toward said one wall, said housing being loosely fitted in said pocket between said webs to accommodate its rotation with said shoes around the post within the limits of the space between said housing and said webs.

2. In a railway car truck, a side frame member, a bolster member movably supported therefrom, a friction element on said frame member extending vertically through said bolster member, a friction assembly comprising shoes aligned longitudinally of one of said members and disposed at opposite sides of said element and in engagement therewith along substantially vertical surfaces and in engagement with said bolster member along substantially horizontal surfaces, a housing surrounding said shoes and spaced vertically with respect to said last-mentioned surfaces and presenting wedge faces converging toward said post and facing said post and said last-mentioned surfaces, said wedge faces having complementary engagement with respective shoes, and resilient means operatively associated with said housing for actuating the same against said shoes toward said surfaces.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported between said columns from said frame, said bolster comprising top and bottom walls and spaced inboard and outboard walls defining a pocket, a post integral with said frame extending through openings in said top and bottom walls, a friction assembly within said pocket surrounding said post and comprising a hollow clamping member sleeved over said post and including wedge means at opposite sides of said post sloping downwardly toward the same, shoes at opposite sides of said post wedged between the respective wedge means and said post and in frictional engagement with said top wall, and resilient means bearing against and compressed between said member and said frame.

4. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame between said columns, a cylindrical friction element connected to said frame and extending through said bolster, friction means surrounding said element and including clamping means sleeved over said element and presenting vertically diverging wedge faces at opposite sides of said element, friction shoe means received within said clamping means and in wedge engagement with respective surfaces and in frictional engagement with said element along complementary cylindrical surfaces and in frictional engagement with said bolster along surfaces extending transversely of said element, and resilient means reacting between said clamping means and said frame.

5. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame between said columns, an aperture extending vertically through said bolster, a friction element connected to said frame and extending through said aperture, friction means within said bolster comprising an equalizer member movable relative to the bolster and having surfaces at its opposite ends that converge toward said friction element, shoes in frictional engagement with'the element and said surfaces and in slidable abutment with said bolster along 5 areas spaced vertically witnreseeetto said equa ii'zer and resilient means reacting be tween said equalizer member and said frame-tor urging said'shoes into. frictional engagemrm-t with saidelement". and 1 abutment with 1 said bolster.

' 6: railway ear ilfllCk; iii-Side framemomprising spaced eolrrmns and an intervening fricti'on post a bolster spring supported on said frame between said columns: and having top and bottom walls with openings receiving" said post therethrougn. afrietion assembly within said bal ster comprising a; trough-like equalizing member includingv wedge: surfaces disposed at opposite sides brsaid post-and. slopi ng downwardly teward the sameglshoesatoppesite sides of" said postwi thiniisaid; member and wedged between thepest'and respective? surfaces and I frieti'onai engagement withisaid to rwall', and resilient means extend ing through the opening in said bottenrwalland compressed between said member and said frame.

'LIiii a railway car truck, a side frame, and ster; spring-supported there-from and comprising spaced top. and bottom walls and spaced inboard andv outboardrwebs, a frictiorrelement connected to said-frame :and extending through said walls between said webs, and friction means between said walls an'dwebs including'a casing having an opening receivingsaid element therethrough and having facingfwed'ge surfaces at opposite sides of said'elemeiit diverging toward one of said walls, a shoeinterposed: between each surface, said ele-" ment and said one wall and in engagement there and; spring means extendin through the other wall and compressedbetweerr said casing andiframe. 7 r

8. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprisingspa'eed columns and an integral p'o'st'extending between said. columns, a bolster sleeved over saidpost and spring-supported fromwsaidframe between said columns,..and friction means including a hollow member sleeved. over said-post, shoes received within said member and in 'wedge en'gageinent'therewith and in frictional engagement with said post and in frictienal engagement with said: bolster, and resilient means compressed between said member and said frame for urging said member against said. shoes.

- 9,; In a railway car truck,a-" side frame comprising spaced columns and an intervening post connected to said frame, a bolster spring-supported from said frame between said columns and extending around said post, friction means surrounding the post and including a member sleeved over said post, friction shoes in slidable abutment with said bolster and wedged between said member and said post, and resilient means cooperatively associated with said member for urging the same into engagement with said shoes and the latter against said bolster and said post.

10. In a railway car truck, a pair of relatively movable members, a friction element carried by one of said members, a friction assembly housed in the other of said members and including shoes disposed at opposite sides of said element and in engagement therewith, said shoes engaging said last-mentioned member along a surface extending transversely of said element, a casing surrounding said element and shoes and in engagement with the latter along diagonal faces, and resilient means reacting between said casing and said one member for urging said casing and shoes into said engagement.

11. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising a vertical post, a bolster spring-supported from said frame and having spaced top and bottom walls witln: openings: receivhigssaldsj post:

therethrougir, frictionashoesi between said. wallsat l anduequalizen member for urging said: shoes into;

said engagements.

1 21. Im aH EEiIWQM ear-truck; aside: frame: having a: eentenposa. a; bolster movably supported from the; and arr.- open'mg therethrough substanifially centrally betweerr its: sides and in boardly of itsadjacentrend maidl opening extend ing vertically and receiving said post therethrougham-saidi bolster. having a. horizontally extending:poekeiropenzethrough. the sides of the bolstem ahousiingswithirr said; pocket and removsurroundingsaid; post, said: housing presentsurfacesisloping: downwardly toward said post, a; plurality of: shoes received within the housing and-wedged between; said surfaces and said post;

said-shoes having substantially horizontal sur-- faces on the top sides in slidab-Ie engagement with the top. sideofi said pocket a spring seated at its bottom end on saidi'frame below said post. and disposed in; axiah alignment therewith and sleeved atitsinpper' enduaroundthe lower end of saidpost andiseated at itsupper' end against-the bot tom side ofsaid'. housingsaid spring urging said honsingnpwardlyiagainst: said shoes,- said housing and; shoes: beirrgrzremovabie from said pocket through either side of said bolster upon-disassembly ofthe bolster with-respect tosaid frame.

Av bolstenassembly comprising a bolster havfngranlend portion with spacedtop and'bottom. wailszandfspaced inboard and outboard wallsi-nterconnectmgsaid top anct bottom'walls and defining a packet therewith .open through each side of the bolster,.;said top and bottom walls being provided withalignedopenings therethrough substantiallyeentrally of: the pocket and communicating: therewith; and a'fri'etionassembly' within said pocketcomprising. a casinghavi ng an opening-therethrough. in alignment with said: openingsthroughc the. walla: said casing having diagonal surfaccson its imierside converging toward the opening in the casing, a plurality of friction shoes disposed within said casing and having diagonal face engagement with the casing on their outer sides and presenting friction surfaces on their inner sides, said casing presenting a spring seat on its external side around the opening therein.

14. A railway bolster comprising a box section end portion having spaced top and bottom walls and spaced side walls interconnecting the top and bottom walls and extending therewith longitudinally of the bolster, spaced inboard and outboard walls extending transversely of the bolster and formed integral at their upper and lower edges with the top and bottom walls respectively and at their vertical edges with said side walls, said inboard and outboard walls being spaced longitudinally of the bolster and defining a pocket with said top and bottom walls, said pocket being open through opposite sides of the bolster whereat said side walls are cored away and top and bottom walls having aligned openings therethrough centrally between the sides of the bolster between said inboard and outboard walls and communicating with said pocket.

15. A snubbing arrangement comprising a member with a cylindrical friction post attached thereto, another member with a cavity therein and an aperture therethrough in communication with said cavity, said post being disposed through said aperture, said second-mentioned member being oriented to be movable with respect to said first-mentioned member, an equalizer member in said cavity encompassing said post and having a pair of inclined surfaces converging toward said post, a pair of friction shoes in said cavity, each operatively engaged with one of said surfaces and frictionally engaged with said post and in abutment with said second-mentioned member, and a coil spring compressed between said equalizer member and said first-mentioned member for urging said shoes into said frictional engagements.

16. A snubbing arrangement comprising a member with a friction element attached thereto, another member with a cavity therein and an aperture therethrough in communication with said cavity, said friction element being disposed through said aperture, said second-mentioned member being oriented to be movable with respect to said first-mentioned member, an equalizer member in said cavity and having a pair of inclined surfaces converging toward said friction element, a pair of friction shoes in said cavity, each operatively engaged with one of said surfaces and frictionally engaged with said element and in abutment with said first-mentioned member, and a resilient member compressed between said equalizer member and said first-mentioned member for urging said shoes into said frictional engagements.

17. A snubbing arrangement comprising a member with a cylindrical friction post secured thereto, another member having an aperture therethrough and oriented to move relative to said first-mentioned member with said post disposed through said aperture, an equalizer member movable relative to both of said members and having an aperture therethrough which encompasses said post and having a pair of inclined surfaces converging toward said post, a'pair of friction shoes, each operatively engaged with one of said surfaces and frictionally engaged with said post and in abutment with said first-mentioned member, and a resilient member compressed between said equalizer member and said first-mentioned member for urging said shoes into said frictional engagements.

18. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame between said columns and having an aperture extending through the bolster, a cylindrical friction post secured to said frame and loosely extending through said aperture, an equalizer member having an aperture therethrough which encompasses said post and having a pair of inclined surfaces converging toward said post, a pair of friction shoes, each operatively engaged with one of said surfaces and frictionally engaged with said post and in abutment with said bolster, and a resilient member compressed between said equalizer member and said frame for urging said shoes into said frictional engagements.

19. In a railway car truck, a side frame comprising spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame between said columns and having a cavity and an aperture in communication therewith, a friction element secured to said frame and extending through said aperture, an equalizer member in said cavity having a pair of inclined surfaces converging toward said friction element, a pair of friction shoes in said cavity, each operatively engaged with one of said surfaces and frictionally engaged with said element and in abutment with said bolster, and resilient means compressed between said equalizer member and said frame for urging said shoes into said frictional engagements.

JOHN J. KOWALIK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 945,133 McCormick Jan. 4, 1910 1,152,251 Whitridge Aug. 31, 1915 1,536,137 Priebe May 5, 1925 2,378,229 Light June 12, 1945 2,444,009 Grigsby June 22, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2734/26 Australia July 12, 1926 

